Content
- 1 Description of horizontal juniper
- 2 Juniper horizontal in landscape design
- 3 Varieties of horizontal juniper
- 4 Planting and caring for horizontal juniper
- 5 Flowering of juniper horizontalis
- 6 Propagating juniper
- 7 Diseases and pests
- 8 Juniperus horizontalis is it poisonous or not?
- 9 Conclusion
- 10 Reviews of horizontal juniper
Horizontal juniper is one of the very popular decorative options for a garden or summer cottage. In order for a coniferous shrub to please the eye for many years, you need to understand its varieties and basic rules of care.
Description of horizontal juniper
Horizontal juniper, also called prostrate or flat, belongs to the Cypress family and the Juniper species.The most characteristic feature of the coniferous shrub, which distinguishes it from other species, is its short stature - the plant can reach no more than 50 cm in height, and, moreover, the development of the shrub occurs very slowly.
The average width of horizontal juniper varies from 1 to 2.5 m; the plant lives for about 200 years. Coniferous needles on shrub branches can be short, scaly, up to 2.5 mm, or long, needle-shaped, up to 5 mm. The photo of a horizontal juniper shows that it can have a bright green, yellowish, silver or bluish color; the color depends on the variety of shrub and the illumination of the area.
In the wild, the horizontal shrub grows mainly in North America and Canada on mountain slopes and on sandy river banks. Decorative prostrate juniper is grown all over the world; it is undemanding to soil and tolerates drought and frost well.
Juniper horizontal in landscape design
Horizontal coniferous shrubs are valued primarily for their decorative qualities. It is used in landscape design all over the world - the shrub fits well into Japanese, English and French landscape styles, and favorably complements the classic and modern design of the site.
Since horizontal juniper is not tall, it is most often used:
- for decorating borders;
- to create a green carpet on rocky areas of the garden;
- to strengthen the banks of artificial reservoirs;
- for decorating alpine slides;
- to divide space into functional zones;
- to smooth out uneven soil.
The shrub goes well with other plants - with most varieties of conifers, heathers, and barberries.You can plant a horizontal shrub near flower beds - a single-colored thick juniper will emphasize the brightness and richness of the flower arrangement.
Varieties of horizontal juniper
The types and varieties with photos of horizontal juniper number in the dozens. Many garden forms of this shrub have been artificially bred; among them you can find beautiful and unpretentious plants for any garden.
Juniper horizontal BlueForest
Horizontal juniper Blue Forest can reach no more than 40 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. It has a dense, creeping crown, the branches of the shrub are flexible and short, the side shoots are directed vertically upward. According to the description, Blue Forest juniper is of the scaly type with dense short needles, the needles of the plant have a silvery-bluish tint, and in winter the shrub turns purple.
Caring for horizontal juniper Blue is quite simple; it prefers loose soil with good aeration, and grows best in sunny areas. The variety tolerates frosts well; another advantage is its resistance to poor ecology. Thanks to this, horizontal shrubs are planted not only in summer cottages, but also in city gardens and front gardens.
Juniperus horizontala Glauka
Glauka juniper can grow quite tall for a horizontal shrub - up to 1 m. The crown width is usually 2-3 m; juniper can add up to 5 cm in height per year. It has a spreading scaly crown; in summer the needles of the horizontal shrub are blue-blue, and in winter the needles acquire a bronze tint.
Horizontal juniper Glauca tolerates drought and cold weather well, but requires a lot of sunlight - shading has a negative effect on the health of the shrub.
Juniper horizontal Jade River
The juniper variety Jade River is characterized by a very small height - only about 15-20 cm above the ground. The width of the shrub can spread up to 1.5 m, the needles have a bluish-green tint, and the young shoots of juniper are silvery.
Jade River tolerates poor soils and light shade. But when growing horizontal shrubs, you need to pay attention to watering - during periods of summer drought, additional moisture is required.
Juniper horizontal Glacier
A miniature ground cover variety of juniper does not exceed 20 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. The needles of the shrub are scaly, the shoots are roll-shaped, the needles have a gray-blue tint in summer and brown in winter.
The variety demonstrates good frost resistance and successfully takes root in poor soils. You can plant Glacier horizontal juniper both in bright sun and in light shade, but you need to monitor the level of soil moisture. The plant does not tolerate stagnation of water, although excessively dry air is also harmful to it.
Juniper horizontal Alpina
The Alpina variety grows on average up to 50 cm, and the crown width can be about 2 m. A characteristic feature of the variety is that Alpina, compared to other varieties, is a fast-growing horizontal juniper.In addition, Alpina sends out young shoots vertically upward - only then do they bend towards the ground, due to which the bush acquires a wavy topography.
The needles of the Alpina variety are gray-green, scaly, and turn brown in winter. The shrub prefers light soils and sunny places and tolerates frosty winters well.
Juniper horizontal Winter Blue
The decorative variety Winter Blue grows on average up to 60 cm in height and reaches 1.5 m in length, has dense creeping shoots that form a cushion-shaped crown. The needles of the shrub are needle-shaped, with a greenish-blue or bluish tint. An atypical feature of the Winter Blue variety is that the bush does not change color in winter.
The variety can withstand frost and light shading well, but the soil for it needs to be light and well aerated - Winter Blue does not tolerate dense soil. Horizontal shrubs love moisture, but react negatively to stagnant water and waterlogging.
Juniper horizontal Gray Pearl
The Gray Pearl variety is a slow-growing horizontal shrub capable of reaching a maximum of 40 cm in height and 1.5 m in width. The shoots of the dwarf shrub are directed upward and densely covered with needle-shaped blue-green needles with a steel tint.
Horizontal juniper Gray Pearl tolerates frosts and wintering under snow well, and does not place high demands on soil fertility. But the soil for the shrub needs light, saturated with air, and the site for the variety needs to be well-lit - in the shade the juniper quickly withers.
Juniper horizontal Yukon Belle
The Yukon Bel variety is a dwarf ground cover shrub, reaching an average of 10-20 cm in height and about 1.5 m in width.The shoots of the horizontal juniper Yukon Belle are dense, creeping, and the needles are scaly, silver-gray in color.
This horizontal shrub of this variety spends the winter under the snow and tolerates even severe frosts well. Yukon Bel is undemanding to the amount of moisture, so when planting it is only important to choose a sunny area and take care of good soil aeration - heavy soils are contraindicated for the bush.
Planting and caring for horizontal juniper
Since the plant is unpretentious, caring for horizontal juniper is not particularly difficult. The coniferous shrub is suitable for growing in the middle zone and requires minimal care. However, you need to know the basic rules for growing creeping juniper.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
Juniper seedlings that are 2-3 years old take root best in open ground. Before purchasing planting material, you need to carefully examine its trunk and shoots; the seedling must be absolutely healthy; a sick plant may not tolerate planting or will create too much trouble during cultivation. A few hours before planting in the ground, it is recommended to soak a young horizontal shrub along with a lump of earth in water; if desired, you can add a solution to it that stimulates plant growth.
An important step is choosing a place to plant coniferous shrubs. Most varieties of horizontal juniper prefer well-lit areas, although some shade is also acceptable.Juniper does not tolerate strong winds, so it is better to plant it under the natural cover of tall plants or near buildings and walls.
Coniferous horizontal shrub takes root well in poor soils, but can die in heavy and dense soil. The soil for juniper should be light, loamy or sandy loam; to avoid stagnation of water, it is recommended to organize high-quality drainage. If the soil on the site is unsuitable for horizontal juniper, you need to create a soil mixture with your own hands - mix humus and turf soil, add peat and add sand in proportions 2:2:2:1.
How to plant horizontal juniper
When transferring a horizontal juniper seedling into the ground, first of all, it is necessary to determine the timing of planting. Planting horizontal juniper in the spring is most often done, especially if the root system of the shrub is open. The optimal period is April-May.
The landing pattern looks like this:
- a spacious hole is dug in advance on the site, the size of which is approximately 2.5 times larger than the diameter of the seedling - taking into account the earthen clod;
- drainage is placed at the bottom of the hole, and a layer of prepared soil is poured on top to about halfway;
- together with a lump of earth at the roots, the juniper is lowered into the hole and the hole is filled with soil to the top.
The soil needs to be lightly crushed, but there is no need to trample it down - the soil should sink on its own. If we are talking about planting several horizontal shrubs, you need to take into account the maximum diameter of the crown of each of them and leave gaps of at least 1.5 m between individual seedlings.
Immediately after planting, the juniper is watered, and the ground is sprinkled with leaves or sawdust in a layer of several centimeters.
Watering and fertilizing
Most varieties of coniferous shrubs tolerate drought well, but do not tolerate waterlogging. Accordingly, horizontal shrubs need to be watered only during the hottest summer periods, and if groundwater flows close to the surface of the earth, limit the amount of water to the maximum.
In addition to watering, it is recommended to sprinkle the crown and spray the shoots with soft water at room temperature. Sprinkling should be done in the morning, evening or on cloudy days - spraying under the bright sun can lead to burns of the needles.
Since the shrub does not make high demands on the composition of the soil, it almost does not need fertilizing. In spring, it is recommended to add nitrogenous fertilizers to the soil for better growth - approximately 30-40 g per square meter. But it is strictly forbidden to use bird or cow humus - for coniferous plants, such fertilizing is destructive and leads to chemical burns of the roots.
Mulching and loosening
Mulching for horizontal shrubs is recommended to be carried out immediately after planting - the moist soil around the seedling is covered with a dense layer of coniferous bark, peat or wood chips. Mulch not only prevents moisture evaporation, but also protects the tree trunk from weed, and in winter it protects juniper roots from freezing.
However, at least once a year it is recommended to remove the mulch and loosen the soil - to saturate the soil with oxygen and to avoid rotting of the root collar. Loosening must be done very carefully - the roots of horizontal juniper lie close to the surface and are easily damaged.
Pruning horizontal juniper
For coniferous shrubs, pruning is divided into 2 types - sanitary and decorative. The first is recommended to be carried out annually, removing all dried, weakened and diseased branches.
Decorative pruning is carried out as necessary, in the volumes required to form a beautiful crown. When pruning branches, it is important to use a sterile and very sharp instrument. In addition, you cannot cut off more than 7 cm of healthy shoots, otherwise the horizontal shrub will be damaged too much and will most likely die.
Preparing for winter
Preparing horizontal juniper for winter consists mainly of constructing a shelter. Although the plant tolerates low temperatures well, the shrub can still be damaged by severe frosts, and the horizontal shrub is sensitive to heavy snow cover, strong winds and bright winter sun.
The following materials are mainly used as shelter for horizontal shrubs:
- snow — it perfectly covers the bush from wind, frost and sun, but it is recommended to throw snow on the protective frame, otherwise the branches of the plant may break;
- burlap, kraft paper and light cotton fabric — the material is fixed in the upper part of the crown; it is not recommended to use film, since high humidity forms under it;
- screens - they are installed on the illuminated side to protect the juniper from the winter sun; a metallized substrate used when laying laminate is best suited for shielding, but it is better to avoid cardboard sheets and lutrasil.
Flowering of juniper horizontalis
In June, the horizontal shrub blooms profusely, but its flowering has its own characteristics. The coniferous shrub does not produce ordinary flowers, but female light green round-shaped cones and male elongated earrings with several stamens. Flowering occurs in June, and from August to September the ornamental shrub bears fruit - small berries of a dark purple color.
Propagating juniper
Wild juniper can also be propagated by seeds, but cuttings are used for decorative horizontal shrubs. It is carried out in the spring, and the process looks like this:
- a shoot about 12 cm long is cut off from an adult plant;
- All needles are removed from the cutting and immersed in a solution with a growth stimulator for a day;
- after this, the cuttings are planted in a small pot in prepared soil - a mixture of sand and peat in a 1 to 1 ratio.
The cuttings are deepened to about 3 cm, immediately after planting they are watered and covered with film for 1.5 months. Throughout this time, the film must be removed every 5-6 hours so that the cuttings can breathe. The substrate is moistened as necessary, and the temperature is maintained at least 22 degrees.
Reproduction of horizontal juniper by cuttings will bring results in 2 months, the cutting will give roots, and it can be transplanted into a larger pot. Planting in open ground occurs only after 2-3 years, when the seedling is well established.
Diseases and pests
The horizontal shrub is a fairly disease-resistant plant. However, it is affected by some common diseases of coniferous shrubs, namely:
- Schutte - a fungal disease that develops mainly with a lack of light;
- fusarium - a disease that is provoked by excessive moisture;
- rust - the disease appears due to poor soil composition.
In addition, the bush can be harmed by insects - spider mites, scale insects and aphids. It is recommended to combat diseases and pests primarily through prevention. Once a year, shrubs must be treated with fungicides and insecticides; sanitary pruning and removal of fallen material in the immediate vicinity of the bushes are mandatory.
If the bush has already suffered from pests and diseases, the first step is to remove all damaged parts. After this, the plant must be treated with Bordeaux mixture and fungicides - and then carefully adhere to the growing conditions.
Juniperus horizontalis is it poisonous or not?
Only the fruits of the common juniper are suitable for culinary and medicinal use. As for the horizontal juniper Juniperus Horizontalis, this shrub is very toxic - its berries can lead to serious poisoning. It is recommended to grow ornamental shrubs only for aesthetic purposes.
Conclusion
Juniper horizontalis is a beautiful ornamental plant, available in many varieties. Coniferous shrubs can decorate almost any landscape, and caring for them is quite easy even for beginners.
